American Goat Society

The American Goat Society (AGS) is a United States organization serving breeders and owners of purebred dairy goats. Founded in New York City in 1935 by goat breeders, it was established to preserve and improve the pedigrees and production records of purebred dairy goats. The organization operates today as a corporation based in Pipe Creek, Texas, and is run by the Kowalik family, while retaining a board of directors. AGS has historically combined registry, record-keeping, education, and event functions. In 1936, one year after its formation, it merged with the International Milk Goat Record Association, an organization founded in 1925. Through that combination, AGS inherited pedigree records whose histories extend back to the earlier registry. The organization became an important national institution in the American dairy-goat community, including by organizing what is described as the first national goat show and by providing training for goat-show judges. The society’s core mission is to promote the breeding and improvement of purebred dairy goats, distribute information about goat milk and its by-products, and establish, maintain, and publish pedigrees and other production-related records. Its registry policy distinguishes AGS from registries that permit animals to progress toward purebred status through breeding programs. AGS requires animals entered in its principal registry to be exclusively purebred and records two generations of pedigree on the registration certificate. It does not register mixed-breed animals, experimental breeds, or non-pedigreed grade goats as purebreds. Its services include membership, animal registration, dairy-herd improvement testing, show sanctioning for individual animals, and training for show judges. These services position the organization as an infrastructure provider for breeders rather than as a consumer-facing livestock-products brand. Its principal value lies in documenting lineage, supporting production evaluation, establishing standards for purebred dairy goats, and helping organize competitive exhibitions. AGS was originally organized as a nonprofit. According to the referenced account, it lost its federal tax-exempt status in 2013 after failing to file Form 990 for three consecutive years. That administrative change did not end the organization’s activities: the society continued operating, maintaining a board of directors, and providing registry and show-related services. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separate commercial product portfolio, public-company ownership structure, or publicly traded status. The society’s identity is therefore rooted in livestock documentation and breeder services. Its historical continuity—from the 1935 founding and 1936 merger through its current Texas operation—rests on maintaining pedigree information and production records for purebred dairy goats. Its scope is primarily domestic and specialized, serving participants in the United States dairy-goat sector.

The American Goat Society was founded in New York City in 1935 by goat breeders seeking a formal institution for preserving and improving purebred dairy-goat pedigrees and production records. Its creation reflected the need for consistent lineage documentation and organized standards within the developing American dairy-goat community. In 1936, the society merged with the International Milk Goat Record Association, which had been established in 1925. The merger gave AGS access to earlier registry material, allowing some of the pedigrees maintained by the society to trace back more than eight decades at the time described in the reference material. This historical record became a central part of AGS’s institutional role. The society also developed functions beyond registration. It was credited with bringing a national goat show to the United States and with providing instruction for goat-show judges. These activities helped establish common expectations for evaluating dairy goats and gave breeders a national venue for comparing animals and promoting bloodlines. AGS’s stated mission has been to encourage the breeding and improvement of purebred dairy goats, distribute information concerning goat milk and its by-products, and establish, maintain, and publish pedigrees and related records. Its registry rules emphasize exclusive purebred status. Unlike registries that allow mixed-breed, experimental, or grade animals to advance toward purebred classification through breeding, AGS does not provide registration for those categories. Its registration certificates include two generations of pedigree information. The organization’s service portfolio has included membership, animal registration, dairy-herd improvement testing, sanctioning of shows for individual animals, and training for show judges. These services connect genetic documentation with production measurement and exhibition standards, making AGS both a record-keeping body and a support institution for breeders. AGS was initially structured as a nonprofit organization. In 2013, it lost its federal tax-exempt status after failing to submit Form 990 filings to the Internal Revenue Service for three years. The available account does not indicate that this event dissolved the society. Instead, AGS continued as a corporation based in Pipe Creek, Texas, operated by the Kowalik family and supported by a board of directors. The organization’s later public profile remains specialized. It is not described as a mass-market consumer brand or a publicly traded company. Its continuing identity is tied to the maintenance of purebred dairy-goat pedigrees and records, breeder membership, herd-improvement testing, show administration, and judge education. The available sources do not provide enough information to identify specific current officers, detailed financial results, or a current official website.

• 2013

  Federal tax-exempt status lost

  [1]American Goat Societyen.wikipedia.org

  AGS lost its nonprofit tax-exempt status after three years without filing Form 990 with the IRS.

• 1936

  Merger with the International Milk Goat Record Association

  [1]American Goat Societyen.wikipedia.org

  AGS merged with the earlier registry, incorporating historical pedigree material and extending the depth of its records.

• 1935

  American Goat Society founded

  [1]American Goat Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Goat breeders founded AGS in New York City to preserve and improve purebred dairy-goat pedigrees and production records.

• 1925

  International Milk Goat Record Association established

  [1]American Goat Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The predecessor organization whose records later became part of the American Goat Society’s historical pedigree holdings was established.

A specialized United States registry and breeder-services organization for purebred dairy goats, emphasizing documented pedigree, production records, breed improvement, and formal show standards.

• Animal registry · 1935

  Purebred dairy-goat registry

  AGS registers purebred dairy goats and maintains pedigree information for the animals entered in its records. Its policy requires exclusive purebred status and does not provide purebred registration for mixed-breed, experimental, or non-pedigreed grade goats. Registration certificates include two generations of pedigree information, supporting breeder documentation and lineage verification.

• Record-keeping service · 1935

  Pedigree and production records

  The society establishes, maintains, and publishes pedigrees and other records connected with purebred dairy goats. Its historical holdings were strengthened by the 1936 merger with the International Milk Goat Record Association, allowing some documented lineages to extend back to the earlier registry.

• Livestock performance service

  Dairy-herd improvement testing

  AGS offers dairy-herd improvement testing, commonly identified as DHI testing. The service supports the organization’s broader objective of documenting production performance and encouraging improvement in purebred dairy goats.

• Show and education service

  Show sanctioning and judge training

  The society sanctions shows for individual animals and provides training for goat-show judges. These activities help create formal exhibition standards and connect registry records with competitive evaluation in the dairy-goat community.

• 2013

  Continuation after loss of nonprofit tax exemptionOther

  Background

  AGS lost its federal tax-exempt status after failing to file Form 990 for three consecutive years.

  Action taken

  The organization continued operating as a corporation despite the change in its federal tax status.

  Aftermath

  The available reference states that AGS retained a board of directors and continued its organizational activities.

  Source

• 1936

  Merger with the International Milk Goat Record AssociationM&A

  Background

  The newly established society combined with a registry that had operated since 1925, bringing earlier pedigree records into the AGS system.

  Action taken

  AGS merged with the International Milk Goat Record Association and continued maintaining the resulting historical registry material.

  Aftermath

  The merger expanded the historical depth of AGS pedigrees and helped establish the society as a continuing national registry for purebred dairy goats.

  Source

1. 1American Goat Societyen.wikipedia.org